The Junkers Larsen 6 or JL-6 were first developed by German Hugo
Junkers, who wanted to develop an aircraft that was all-metal,
so that pilots would be protected from ground fire while flying
over the battlefield. The first military prototype was flown in
January 1917 and proved effective. Over two hundred more were
built by the Germans before the end of the war.

In 1919, a prototype of the civilian Junkers was developed
using all-metal construction with corrugated aluminium. The
Junkers-Larsen 6 was developed and built in New York with a
licence from Junkers in Germany.

The plane went on to play an important role in the
development of aviation in Western Canada. When Imperial Oil
wanted to find out if aircraft could reach the company’s
northern oil well at Fort Norman, they used two Junkers Larsen
6s for the trip in 1921.

These all-metal aircraft proved to be one of the more
effectual early bush planes. The Junkers-Larsen 6 were also
versatile, since they could be fitted with skis or pontoons.

A photograph of a CF-ABK Junkers W34
of the Canadian Airways. Pilot Stan McMillan and
Engineer Fred Little flew charters to May, Whitehorse,
Carcross, Dawson etc in the Yukon.
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